If your Winmalee home backs onto bush, you want the clearing done to standard and within the rules. Trees Down Under clears asset protection zones using AQF Level 3-5 certified arborists, crane access where needed and full site clean-up. Council permit guidance is included, so you know what needs approval before any tree comes down.
Winmalee sits within Blue Mountains bushland that can burn in hot, dry conditions. Space between the house and the fuel around it gives a fire less to work with.
Dead trees, overhanging branches and dense undergrowth act as fuel ladders. They carry a ground fire up into the treetops, where it is harder to control and can reach the roofline.
Effective clearing targets the continuous path of fuel, so hazardous trees and low growth are managed together. Clearing lowers risk but does not make a property fireproof. A free tree inspection before removal shows which trees are the real problem.
The 10/50 Vegetation Rule lets owners in bushfire-prone zones clear trees and vegetation 10 to 50 metres from the outermost wall of a home or building without seeking council permission. It is aimed at people living within 100 metres of bushland, and it is promoted by the NSW Rural Fire Service.
In Winmalee and the Blue Mountains, that covers a large share of properties backing onto bush.
The rule is not a blanket approval to clear. Before any work starts, a few checks need to pass:
Distances, slope and boundaries are easy to misjudge by eye. A site inspection by a qualified arborist confirms which parts of the property fall inside the rule, and whether council permit guidance is needed for any tree before removal.
The 10/50 rule helps, but it has limits. Check the distance, the slope and the method before a single tree comes down.
Joseph Khoury, Director & Founder, Trees Down Under
Owners can read the full rule on the NSW Rural Fire Service website.
Some trees fall outside the 10/50 rule, so check whether Blue Mountains City Council needs to approve the work before any tree removal. A permit is required if the tree:
Residents apply through the council’s Approval to Manage Trees or Vegetation form. You can read the council’s current requirements on the Blue Mountains City Council website.
Trees Down Under provides council permit guidance during the free tree inspection, so owners know which trees fall under the rule and which need approval first.
Our clearing breaks up the fuel path between bushland and a building. Arborists assess each property, then carry out only what the site and the rules allow.
Specialised machinery and environmental knowledge keep the work controlled and the soil undisturbed. Where a tree needs council approval, permit guidance comes first and removal only follows once the paperwork is in order. The site is left clear.
Asset protection clearing often sits alongside other tree work on the same property. Trees Down Under, based in Dural, also provides these related services across Winmalee and the Blue Mountains:
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